Is Darwin Nunez the latest global star to emerge from Benfica?

Benfica have a rich history of producing global football stars. Is Darwin Nunez the latest player who is set to become a star?

 

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Benfica are one of the greatest football factories in Europe and their record of producing quality footballers is so often overlooked. This could be said for each of Portugal’s big three, in fact, with FC Porto and Sporting Club equally as proficient in their player development.

Something that can often get overlooked is Portugal’s consistency as a major footballing nation in comparison to it’s size. Dwarfed by neighbours Spain, with a population of just over 10 million, it is difficult to comprehend how many legends of the game have come from the country or surrounding areas like Madeira.

Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably the greatest player ever seen and he hailed from the island before learning his trade at Sporting, like Luis Figo. Benfica can boast Eusebio and Manuel Rui Costa, meanwhile.

But the top clubs have used geography to their advantage, too. Their reputations precede them and, because of the language connection, Portuguese football is a very good door into Europe for Brazilians and others from South America. The Primeira Liga has proven a good stepping stone, while players have been introduced to the Champions League and Europa League too. Radamel Falcao, James Rodriguez, Angel Di Maria and David Luiz are just some of the superstars who took their first steps on the continent in Portugal.

As well as Di Maria and Luiz, Benfica have a great track record of academy production, as Renato Sanches and Joao Felix can attest. These teams have positioned themselves as the ultimate place to learn and grow before selling to the highest bidder and reinvesting in the next one. It doesn’t always work of course but their success rate is remarkably high.

At the Estadio da Luz, the latest star is 22-year-old Uruguayan striker Darwin Nunez. Unlike others, he signed for Benfica from elsewhere in Europe, Spanish club Almería. His potential was obvious, but he was unrecognised, under the radar, despite having one of his highest profile countrymen in his corner.

“I recommended Darwin to Barcelona when he was at Almeria,’ former Blaugrana striker Luis Suarez revealed. “I have 15 years of international experience. I know a thing or two about forwards. And I told them, ‘pay attention to this one, he’s very good, he shows interesting things’.

“They told me he was at Almeria and that he was too young. But instead of paying now €80 million, €90m or €100m, they would’ve paid €15m or €20m and have him there as a substitute, a player needs to be empowered.

“But we [supposedly] were the ones who picked players. I never heard a teammate trying to block a transfer, not Messi, Iniesta, Busquets.”

The rise of Darwin Nunez in Lisbon is further proof of Benfica’s standing as Europe’s shop window. He’d scored 16 goals in 32 Segunda Division matches for Almería in 2019/20, but Barcelona didn’t take the risk. It may have been something of a slow start for him domestically, with five goals in seven Europa League games initially catching the attention last season in comparison to just six in 29 league matches.

This season, though, the fire has spread to the domestic action. He’s scored 11 goals in just 12 games and, although Benfica are trailing both Porto and Sporting by four points at the time of writing, it is one of the tightest races in years and one you can’t rule out Nunez inspiring them to winning come May.

Once again, the development cycle is reaching its end. It seems unlikely that Nunez will remain with Benfica beyond this season, in part because receiving a hefty profit on the £21m they paid out is high on their own priority list. The irony of Barcelona’s situation is that their finances and likely lack of Champions League football will count them out of the race to sign him when they almost certainly would be interested.

Alongside the likes of Erling Haaland and Dusan Vlahovic, Nunez is aiding a resurgence for bona fide strikers after an era which saw them diminish. The likes of Suarez, Robert Lewandowski and Karim Benzema are proof that the best out and out strikers kept going past a supposed peak, with less quality coming through behind them, as wingers and attacking midfielders began to shoulder goalscoring responsibility. But the number nine is roaring back, with added skill and dribbling technique, too. It isn’t just a return to the old ways, it is an improvement on them.

Able to score all types of goals, drop deep but come alive in the box, Darwin Nunez can provide a focal point in a variety of different styles of play. Premier League interest is all but guaranteed, and the fight is on to get him. With Benfica’s record of selling on for profit, they’ll be keen for the battle to commence.

 

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